United Prerunners - Dirt Wars 2005 - Rialto Off-Road Raceway

United Prerunners Dirt Wars Latest Campaign Trucks

Carpe Diem
How much time do you spend putting off enjoying life just because things aren't quite as perfect as you'd like? How often do you use the phrase "my truck's pretty cool, BUT..." As we take self-inventory, we have to admit we've procrastinated a lot of life enjoyment in the present because we're thinking of a better, more perfect future. The same goes with our trucks. On second thought, yours truly currently has two personal trucks, neither of which run as of this writing, but just the same

What's the point? We need to stop and enjoy today while it's still...today. Case in point: United Prerunners' Dirt Wars at Rialto Off-Road Raceway. We showed up knowing we'd be treated to fender-to-fender racing action all day. We showed up knowing that the ROR is one of the few places where the entry fees are incredibly affordable: about the same price as dinner and a movie. We showed up knowing we'd see a whole spectrum of trucks, from basic to exotic. Finally, we showed up knowing we'd likely see some famous faces from off-road racing's top ranks. What we didn't know was that Dirt Wars 2005 was to be the final hurrah for the ROR.

It seems that in the weeks following Dirt Wars, several individuals outside the off-road community decided to take their vandalistic tendencies to the ROR after hours. Trash was piled, speaker wire was torn up and stolen, and general mayhem spread around the venue. For Greg and Jen Gagnon, the pair who brainstormed and created the ROR with the help of dedicated volunteers, it was time to find a new home for future United Prerunners events. "The trash, theft, and vandalism had been an ongoing problem," Greg told us. "Some of the things that were stolen were minor, like rakes and shovels, but other things were a bigger deal. Someone stole some of the hydraulic lines from the backhoe we kept at the track. You need a big huge wrench to take those off! The land the ROR was built on had been for sale from the beginning, so we knew we wouldn't be there forever, but we reached the point where too many signs pointed out that we needed to move on."

At press time negotiations are currently underway, although no new location has been finalized. Rest assured Off-Road will be there next time the green flag flies at the new United Prerunners venue, wherever it is.

Until then, here are some images to remember Dirt Wars and the ROR by. Oh yeah. Sieze The Day!

Nationally known speed showed up at Dirt Wars in the form of Curt, Todd, Kyle LeDuc, and the Skyjacker semi. This fast family will not only show you how a track should be driven, they'll lend a hand with mechanical help, too. This was the first time we'd caught sight of Todd's bad, black CORR Pro-2 F-150.
Nationally known speed showed up at Dirt Wars in the form of Curt, Todd, Kyle LeDuc, and t

Back in the day, Steve Ruddick's '85 Toyota Extra Cab 4x4 sported two solid axles, four leaf springs, and just enough suspension travel to smooth out a rolled-up newspaper or a parking lot speed bump. Things have changed. I-beams and links now control the wheel travel, allowing the Toy to skim the whoops instead of laboriously crawling through. Early in the Dirt Wars campaign, Steve got a friendly tug back to the pits courtesy of Belden Alivio, but got back on the track as soon as an electrical gremlin was discovered and dispensed with. The four-cylinder's performance doesn't match the suspension's ability anymore, so look for a V-6 in the near future.
Back in the day, Steve Ruddick's '85 Toyota Extra Cab 4x4 sported two solid axles, four le